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TORONTO CROWN ATTORNEY INSTRUCTS POLICE TO LAY FALSE CHARGES AGAINST PRO-LIFERS

TORONTO, Sept 11 (LSN) - Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) today reported that "Crown Attorney Paul Culver instructed Toronto police, who arrested pro-life protesters September 9, to not charge them with 'disobeying a court order'". The protesters were expecting that charge so that they could finally challenge in court the unconstitutional injunction that prohibits protests at Toronto's abortuaries. Linda Gibbons, Rev. Ken Campbell and Annaliese Stedan were arrested on Wednesday for peacefully protesting outside Toronto's Scott abortion mill. They were eventually charged with "obstructing a peace officer".

CLC is trying to draw attention to a "serious abuse of legal process" in this situation. It noted that Wednesday's charge "was in direct contradiction to the July 15, 1998 judgement by Judge Milton Cadsby in which the charge of "obstructing a peace officer" was dismissed against Rev. Ken Campbell for a previous identical action at the clinic." The judge stated that there was no basis for laying such a charge against Rev. Campbell.

The judge questioned the legitimacy of the injunction, noting that, as a four-year-old "temporary" measure it was about time that it was re-examined. His comments indicated that "disobeying a court order" would be the only appropriate charge for any similar future incidents.

Rev. Campbell has been released while Linda Gibbons and Annaliese Steden are still imprisoned since they are refusing to co-operate with release requirements.

The unjust injunction barring peaceful and prayerful sidewalk counselling and pro-life witness, was engineered by the NDP government and is being carefully and consciously maintained by the provincial Tories despite numerous requests to drop it.

Attorney General Charles Harnick has also "stifled all attempts to quash the five-year-old NDP Court case against eighteen pro-lifers," says CLC. "This situation is a serious abuse of legal process in which the Toronto police and the Ontario Attorney General appear to be directed by abortion clinic staff to by-pass normal legal process to avoid any interference with clinic abortion activity," charged the political wing of Canada's pro-life movement in a press release issued today.

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